The receptionist at the front desk, a middle aged woman, was far from welcoming, almost to the point of being rude. She checked our boarding passes and begrudgingly “allowed” us to enter; like she could have said no! This Heathrow lounge is for First Class customers only, not for Gold card holders, maybe that is what she was expecting to find. I don’t know, but regardless, once we got past her, things began to look up. Since it was for First Class passengers only, the lounge was quite empty and very quiet. I'm sure it was much quieter than the Business or any other Heathrow lounge.

British Airways’ First Class Airport Lounge has medium colored wood floors in some areas and to accent them, dark colored carpet covers the other parts. The lounge has tall ceilings and one wall of windows that allow tons of natural daylight to flood the lounge, giving it an open and spacious feeling. To allow for privacy, the seating areas of the lounge were broken up with various glass and marble walls and even gas fireplaces. The seating areas are filled with over-sized couches and chairs upholstered in hues of green, brown and beige; the feel is definitely an elegant, yet comfy at home feel, perfect for relaxing.

There is second section of the first class lounge located “outside” the main lounge (but still in the airport) and overlooks the level below. Called the Terrace, it again has the same classy hardwood floors and comfy, home-style furnishings, but offers views of Heathrow's runways and the airport terminal below.

Along one wall in the main area of this first classHeathrow lounge was their fully stocked bar which serves complimentary Champagne, fine wines, beer and top-shelf liquor. Across the lounge from the bar is British Airways’ first class lounge full-service dining room with private dining booths. The menu was not extensive but I think everyone could find a dish that fit their tastes.

The starters were Minestrone (their soup of the day), Tomato and Mozzarella with basil on roasted garlic crostini, and a Tapas platter (breads, cured meats, marinated artichokes, and sun dried tomatoes and olives).

Light Bites included a BLT sandwich, Toasted classic deli with pastrami, Grilled chicken strip wrap, Mature cheddar with tomato, chili, and lime chutney; and a BA signature burger. Two salads were also available, a chicken Caesar and a Vegetarian.

And last but not least, the desserts were English custard, Warm treacle tart, English yoghurt and a selection of British cheeses.

To complete dinner, they also offered two white wines (one Spanish, one from New Zealand) and two red wines (one French and a California Pinot).

Overall, not an impressive selection of wines (or food dishes) for the fine dining experience they are trying to create.

We had time (a lot of time) so we tried their restaurant, leaving less under-whelmed. The Minestrone soup was out of the can good, commercial and generic tasting. The spaghetti was bland, the shepherd’s pie, even more bland. We didn’t bother with dessert; why pile on calories for mediocre fair?! Service though, both in the restaurant and while sitting in the lounge was extremely attentive.

In addition to the bar and restaurant, British Airways First Class Lounge at Heathrow also offered a full board/meeting room, complete with seven internet-connected computers, and printers, as well as a 40 inch LCD display screen for presentations. Free WI-FI was available throughout the lounge; however, there was a serious lack of electrical outlets.

The first class lounge also offered three private cabana sleeping rooms with en suite bathrooms. These were available for up to four hours at time. They had daybeds and were perfect for catching a nap, that is, if you were traveling alone. There was simply no place for a second person to relax.

The first class lounge also had an Elemis Travel Spa which offered complimentary treatments (neck and back rub, facial while seated in a massage chair and foot massages) as well as other treatments for a fee. They also had 20 showers available for use. There is nothing better than a refreshing shower after a long flight!

There is a concierge from Quintessentially available from 8 AM – 10 PM, seven days a week. They are able to book restaurants, hotels and other such services.

British Airways First Class Lounge in Terminal Five at London Heathrow Airport offered everything you could want from a first class lounge or VIP airport lounge. While the food was less than impressive and the lack of electrical outlets caused a bit of hassle looking for place to “plug-in”, it was an overall great experience and garners our first class airline lounge review of bombastic!